310. "And the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed the name" (Vayikra 24:11). HE ASKS what is meant by "blasphemed (or: 'bored'). Rabbi Aba said, He surely blasphemed, as in the verse, "and bored a hole in the lid of it" (II Melachim 12:10), piercing that which was covered, WHICH IS NOW AS IF PIERCED. "And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri" (Vayikra 24:11): up to this point the verse does not disclose his mother's name. Once it says, "blasphemed," he blasphemed his mother's name.

312. Come and see, it is written, "and this son of the Yisraeli woman and a man of Yisrael strove together in the camp." We already explained this verse. Yet THIS MAN OF YISRAEL is the son of his father, Shelomith's husband, from a different wife. When the Egyptian man came in to her, TO SHELOMITH, at midnight, her husband returned home and realized this. He separated from her and no longer came in to her. He married another woman and begot this man, who is called the man of Yisrael. The other man FROM THE EGYPTIAN is called the Yisraeli woman's son. HE ASKS, If they strove here together, why mention the Holy Name here, and why did he curse the Holy Name?

318. According to another explanation for, "and the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed the name, and cursed," Rabbi Yitzchak said, Why "the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed?" This is as we explained it. The man of Yisrael was Shelomith's husband. Rabbi Yehuda said, He was Shelomith's husband's son from another woman. Rabbi Yitzchak said they fought together, and he said about his mother THAT SHE WAS A WHORE and that his EGYPTIAN father was killed by means of the Holy Name BY MOSES as we explained the verse, "do you intend (lit. 'speak') to kill me" (Shemot 2:14). He therefore extended this speech to him, THAT IS, LET HIM KNOW WHILE THEY WERE FIGHTING.